


High anxiety and the art of tea

by shecamefromwildspace



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Gen, friendship isn't always magic but it can be awesome, high anxiety and the art of tea, i should have had kas drinking tea, odessen dream team, smugglers unite, wait it's not too late i can change it, when will kas learn to just relax
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 18:37:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16645652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shecamefromwildspace/pseuds/shecamefromwildspace
Summary: Rejected titles: A smuggler walks into a bar -- wait, the Odessen base. Smug smugglers gotta be smugKassia meets her idols and immediately goes into anxiety mode.





	High anxiety and the art of tea

Kas walked into the hangar looking around for someone who seemed to be in charge. The place was busy, with people moving around in a complicated dance that she was all too familiar with. Ah, the certain feel of a smuggling operation was in the air and Kas felt like she was home. She spent a few moments watching and figured the striking Mirialan on the platform must be who she needed to talk to. Interview with. Impress?   
Kas walked up the short ramp and tried to summon up all the bravado she could. She was an A+ purveyor of fine goods. She'd been doing this for 20 years, and only a few dust-ups. Why did she feel like an underage kid trying to get into a cantina? Too late, the woman noticed her and smiled. Smiled, uh, yeah, she should smile back. She widened her mouth in what she hoped was a smile anyway, she felt like she was going to faint.  
“You must be Hylo, they told me you were looking for smugglers and I'm one of the best, well, to say I'm one of the best, I mean, anyone can say that, right?” she took a breath and plunged on. “But I really do have a good track record. I know we don't log these things into a system and all you have to go on is my word but, actually, there are probably a few people around here who I've worked with over the ...”  
“Whoa there, take a breath!” the Mirialan interrupted, smiling, “Purple hair, green jacket, talks like a bullet train on Corellia? You must be Kassia Undomiel, and your reputation precedes you.”  
“I...” Kas was flustered. “Yeah, that's me. Nice to meet you, Hylo. Your rep-”  
“I'm not Hylo,” the woman laughed, “but I do look like my mother. My name is Shoroni.”  
Kas's face burned. Talking too much, getting the name of the person wrong, she shouldn't have come. Her vision started to get distant and the floor felt like it was moving. Shouldn't have come, shouldn't have come.  
“Looks like you could use a drink, come into the back and sit down, would you?” Shoroni said kindly.  
“Drink, sit. Yeah.” Kas followed her around the corner, sinking gratefully onto the first seat she found. “Drink. But tea maybe, no alcohol. I've already made enough of a fool of myself.”  
“You seem a bit nervous, but I don't think I could ever think of you as a fool, if the stories I've head have any grain of truth to them”  
Kas slumped. “Oh, uh, you know a lot of stories get blown out of proportion, and some I've heard had absolutely no basis in truth, so, you know, maybe...” she trailed off, she didn't know where she was going from here. She wished she could start over from the moment she stepped off the ship or better yet, had never come. Stop thinking and drink your tea, Kas.   
“Are you kidding?” Shoroni said, “Imperials are still mad about your getting away with those refugees on Ord Mantell. Or the time you walked onto an Imperial space station and made off with every force-sensitive slave they had ready to ship to Korriban. That is impressive, there isn't a single person I've talked to who took credit for those jobs, it's always been attributed to you.” Shoroni looked at her data pad. “Hylo is on her way up. She can't wait to meet you.”  
“Great.” Kas said faintly, sipping her tea. Meeting Hylo Visz was something she'd dreamed of for years. There was nobody better than Hylo. Nico came close, but didn't have the panache. Kas was finally about to meet her idol, and all she wanted to do was sink into the floor.  
“Hey, you okay?” Shoroni asked. “You look like you'd rather be anywhere else than here, and believe me, we are all glad you're here.”  
“It's just that all the work you're doing here, fighting Zakuul, staying separate from the Republic and Imperials, this is important stuff, and suddenly I feel like I don't belong. Hylo and Shoroni Visz, Gault Rennow, Nico Okarr; pretty sure I saw Criax Thane down in the hangar and uou've got Gwhirrye Nekor playing doorman? I've pulled a couple audacious stunts but ...” Kas gestured expansively, “I'm nothing comparatively.”  
“Nothing comparatively?” a voice came from behind Kas. “I've wanted to shake the hand of the person who rescued those refugees for a long time.” Hylo walked over to where Shoroni and Kas sat. “Kassia Undomiel. Welcome to the biggest smuggling op in the galaxy. When can you start?”  
Kas stared up at Hylo, for once she was speechless.  
“Now you're probably going to need someone to show you around and get you up to speed, a captain like you is just what we need. Shoroni, honey, can you get Kassia set up here and introduce her to all the important people? After that, take her on up to meet the Commander and her advisers.” Hylo winked. “We all know who really keeps this place runnin' and it ain't the people who sit upstairs!” All three women laughed. “Seriously though, you've got an impressive record and I don't listen to cantina tales, I know the facts. Welcome aboard, Captain.”  
“Glad you joined us, Kassia!” Shoroni chimed in, beaming.  
Kas couldn't stop smiling. “Shoroni, Hylo, thank you for making me feel welcome.” She took a deep breath. “My friends call me Kas.”

**Author's Note:**

> I said it was the art of tea, and I lied. I'm suitably ashamed. Next time there will be tea, I promise!


End file.
